On April 23, 1994, a Cessna 140 (registration N2302N) was involved in an aviation accident near Hempstead, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER SELECTION OF THE STRIP BETWEEN THE TWO RUNWAYS. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSTRIP AND THE SOFT, WET TERRAIN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot practicing touch-and-go landings at an unfamiliar private/glider strip landed in an unimproved area between parallel runways, encountered a soft wet area, and the airplane nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer and left wing strut.
Planning and Approach
The pilot planned to practice touch-and-go landings at a private/glider strip that was unfamiliar to him. The strip consisted of two parallel runways. He set up his approach on the strip between the two runways, believing it was the main strip. He was unaware that his intended landing area was actually the unimproved area between them.
Accident Sequence
During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a soft, wet area on the ground. This caused the aircraft to nose over. The pilot had flown his approach to what he thought was the main strip, but he had inadvertently aligned with the unimproved area between the parallel runways.
Damage
The nose-over resulted in structural damage to the vertical stabilizer and the left wing strut.